Find Your Community as a Pilates Teacher

Teaching Pilates can be a lonely job. When you first start doing Pilates, it’s very often at a studio with others, and you build a little community. But after going through all the steps to become a teacher, and maybe even opening your own studio, it can feel like you’re all on your own. It doesn’t have to be that way! With a little intention, all the stages of your Pilates journey can feel supportive and fun (and not at all lonely). 

Your First Pilates Community

When you start on the path to becoming a Pilates teacher, it’s very likely that you have attended Pilates classes. For me, I was already working in the fitness industry teaching aerobics, spin, and some weight training. I also had a history of playing sports and doing Scottish dancing.  Pilates was a new challenge for me and it was the thing that I recognized that my body needed. However you found Pilates, practicing in classes or joining a studio puts you in a community of others who love to do Pilates, too. It’s nice to see familiar faces, and I’ve seen friendships grow between students in my own studio. Fitness has a great way of bringing people together, something I really love.  

Teachers Training Together

Once you decide to do your Pilates teacher training, you step into another community. Most programs are at least a year long, and often more. You are in the studio with other trainees practicing, teaching, observing, attending lectures, and doing your self practice. It’s very involved, and sometimes it seems like all you do and think about is Pilates! Luckily, you have a built-in system of support from the other teacher trainees and your mentor. After all that work, finishing your training and passing your exams is such a relief. It’s time to start teaching.  

Why it Can Feel Lonely as a Pilates Teacher

Depending on where you begin teaching, you may only teach a few sessions a week. When I first started, there were only a few studios and you had to slowly build your clientele. The larger studios around today may offer more hours from the beginning. Still, I’ve noticed that whether a studio has 10 teachers or just a few, you really are on your own for the most part.

Those that open their own studio can definitely feel lonely. There are no co-workers to pass by in the studio to chat with, and while you develop relationships with your clients, it’s not the same as being around other teachers to chat with, learn from, and share ideas. 

Wherever you teach, you may find yourself without a mentor to guide you or support you in your growth as a teacher. When I look back at the manager we had at the gym I worked at for 20 years, she had an extensive fitness background and did an amazing job of creating systems, community, and helping her teachers to keep getting better. We had yearly assessments, she offered workshops, and we were giving a small budget toward continuing education each year. You don’t get this everywhere, and studios can be owned by people who aren’t trained in Pilates.  

Find Your Teaching Community 

When you first start teaching, it’s easy to get caught up getting adjusted to the studio, equipment, clients, and fellow staff. At first, it’s really just teaching the exercises. After some time, you may start to feel unmotivated, maybe bored with the exercises, and you aren’t really sure how to get creative. You start to see where there are things that need “fixing” for clients but might not really know what to do to fix these things. 

So what do you do? You love teaching but how do you stay motivated, feel supported, and keep expanding your knowledge? In my experience, the best way to stay motivated, creative, true to the Pilates method, and keep up with your own practice is to do regular classes. By taking regular classes, attending Pilates events, and doing more training programs, you will start to expand and build your own Pilates community. 

I’m super grateful to have built a great network of Pilates teachers in my home community as well as all around the world. We joke that it’s like we’re coworkers even though we are so far apart. I often have zoom meetings, email, and DM interactions with Pilates friends I have around the world.Pilates teaching doesn’t have to be lonely if you find a path to keep yourself supported and educated.